Package



Feb. 26, 1935. J, L BURKE "1,992,184

PACKAGE Filed Nov. 1, 19.32

.Patented Feb. 26, 1935 l PACKAGE James L.,Burke, Weehawken, N. J.,assignor to Modern Wrappers, Inc., a corporation of New JerseyApplication November 1, 1932, Serial No. 640,603

3 Claims. (Cl. 229-51) My present invention relates primarily to the artof packaging and particularly to small-individual packs containingblocks of hard or plastic substance such asA food products, like lumpsof l sugar, cakes of icecream, butter, yeast, bouillon cubes, caramels,medicaments and the like;

An object of the invention is to aord a pack which shall not onlyadequately protect the contents, but which shall be easy to openinstantly, without the need of prying the nger nails under a sealed flapor digging into the contents.

Another object is to provide a pack of the above type, devoid ofprotruding arms or elements apt to be torn E, and which, ,in generalappearance, shall be conventional and capable of being produced by thehigh speedy automatic packaging machinery of the type now commonly used.

In the accompanying drawing, in which are shown one or more of variouspossible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pack according to one embodiment ofthe invention:

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a modied form of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a further modification;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the wrapper for a still further modification,and;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of said latter modification.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown in Fig. 1, a small andgenerally rectangular pack, particularly suitable for enclosing sucharticles as lumps, blocks or pats of sugar, yeast, caramel candy,bouillon cubes or the like.

The lump, block or pat in this case is enclosed in an ordinaryrectangular wrapper 10 which may be of metal foil and includescomplementary top aps 11 and 12, which may abut or preferably overlap atedge 13, each of said top flaps having integral extensions 1li and 15,respectively at opposite endsoverlapping the ends of the content andinfolded in llaps 16 to lap thereover. As thus far described, the packis an ordinary rectangular package wrapped in a rectangular Wrapper.

According to the present invention, a paster P, which ordinarily wouldbe a label, of area-slightly smaller than the peripheral area of thepack, is adhesively connected to the lupper aps 11 and 12. Suchconnection is by two lines or dabs of adhesive 17 and 18 extendinggenerally lengthwise of the respective flaps and securing correspendingportions of the label directly to the respective flaps without securingthe respective flaps to each other.

The label is transversely weakened by a line of scoring as at 20preferably between the adhesive areas and preferably along the free edge13 of the upper flap. The opposite edges of the label are also free ofadhesiveconnection as at 21 and 22, with respect to thecorrespondingaps;

The pack is substantially as secure as packs commonly made of thisgeneral type. For opening the pack, the 'user merely grasps the oppositefree ends 2l and 22 of the paster, each between the thumb and theforenger, and while contacting the opposite face of the pack with themiddle fingers draws the ends of the paster or label apart. By thisaction the label becomes severed along the transverse line of scoring,or weakening 2Q, and thev wrapper is drawn away from the contents andimmediately opens, allowing the contents to drop onto a plate or into aglass, as the case may be.

The embodiment of Fig. 2 is generally similar to that of Fig. 1,corresponding reference numerals being applied to corresponding parts,but bearingexponent a. In this case, the label or paster is adhesivelyconnected substantially throughout its area as at 18a, with respect toone of the flaps, While the other part of thelabel beyond the weakenedline 20a, is adhesively connected only in the general vicinity of saidweakened line as at 17a, leaving the end or edge portion 21a of saidlabel or paster free.,

In opening the latter pack, the operator grasps the package in one handat the left end thereof, and grasps only the free end 21a of the label,whichthus forms a iinger tab, between the thumb and forenger, and pullsthereon, thereby immediately opening the pack at the right end thereof,and then the contents may be allowed to drop from the sheath formed bythe left end of the pack.

The pack just described, it Will be understood, is not particularlyadapted to plastic contents. It is more suitable for enclosing lumps ofsugar and other hard 'non-sticking articles which Will readily drop fromthe pack or sheath at the left end ofthe pack.v

In the embodiment of Fig. 3, similar parts bear the same referencenumerals as in Fig. 1 with exponent b. In the case, the label or pasterP--b is adhesively connected to the opposite aps 11b and 12bsubstantially throughout the area of said label as at 17h and l8b exceptonly at the median portion thereof adjacent the transverse line ofweakening 20h. This pack is more .especially suitable for a crumbly orbrittle plastic content, such as a yeast cake. In this embodiment, theuser simply grasps the cake at opposite ends between the thumb andforefinger of the respective hands and breaks the cake in two, the labelbreaking along the weakened line 20h and rendering the contentsimmediately accessible.

In the embodiment of Figs. 4 and 5, the wrapper is substantiallyidentical with that of Fig. 1, corresponding parts bearing the samenumerals with exponent c. The wrapper in this case has integral tabs and26, protruding from opposite ends thereof. These tabs are creased as at27 and 28 to extend outwardly away from each other above the respectiveaps 11c and 12e.

While the pack of Figs. 4 and 5 is suitable for any of the various typesof content above referred to, it is particularly useful for individualpacks of ice creamor butter pats or other substance of a nature'to whichpaper or foil has a tendency to adhere and in which it is especiallyimportant that the fingers shall not touch the contents.

To open this embodiment, the user grasps the two tabs 25 and 26, eachbetween the forenger and the thumb of one hand, and while applying themiddle ngers at the opposite face of the ilap, draws the two tabs apart.The wrapper thereby becomes progressively stripped from olf the contentsand the aps as they are drawn apart automatically open up the end foldedportions of the wrapper and the content readily drops out therefrom intothe glass, cup or plate, as the case may be. Preferably, the roots oftabs 25 and 26 are as at 25' and 26', to avoid any possibility oftearing off the ap in the process of opening the pack, which mightoccur, if the ap were devoid of such flare and weak paper stock wereused.

While in the embodiment of Figs. 4 and 5, Ihave shown a complete wrapperwith end flaps, it will be understood that with a pack of butter andcertain other articles, it is sometimes preferred, instead of using acomplete wrapper, to use merely a band which encircle-s the lateralfaces of the content but leaves the ends exposed.

It will also be understood that while it is ordinarily preferred toprepare the embodiment of Figs. 4 and 5 with opposite tabs 25 and 26, itwould be within the scope of the invention to use a tab at only one endof the wrapper or band and to strip the wrapper or band from the contentby pull on said one tab, `holding the opposite end of y the package onthe other hand, while performing such stripping or pulling operation.

The features relating to the blank and the manner of folding it as shownin Figs. 4 and v5 is described and claimed in my co-pending applicationSerial No. 2143, led Jan. 17, 1935, that application being acontinuation in part of the present case.

It will thus be seen that there is herein described an article in whichthe several features of this invention are embodied, and which articlein its action attains the various objects of the invention and' is wellsuited to meet the requirements of practical use.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and manyapparently Widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingshall be interpreted as illustrative and not :in a limiting sense.

I claimz- 1. A box-shape pack including a wrapper having complementaryflaps at one face of .the pack, and a paster adhesively secured to saidaps having a transverse weakened line parallel to two edges of saidflaps, said paster having its periphery within the peripheral line ofthe pack and having its opposite edges free'to serve as finger tabs.

2. A'boX-shape pack includinga wrapper having complementary flaps atone. face of the pack, and a paster adhesively secured to said flapshaving a transverse weakened line parallel to two edges of said flaps,said paster having its periphery within the peripheral line of the pack,said paster rigidly secured to the respective flaps and free fromadhesive connection to said flaps at said line of weakening and at saidtwo edges, thereby to afford finger tabs.

3. A box-shaped pack, including a wrapper enclosing the block, withcomplementary flaps at one face of the block, a paster adhesivelyconnected to the respective naps and along areas materially sm'allerthan the area of said paster, leaving substantially free from connectionwith respect to said flaps the opposite end areas ofV said paster, whichafford finger grips, said paster having transversely weakened scoringbetween the adhesive areas of connection to the respective flaps.

JAMES L. BURKE..

